1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to generating a stereoscopic image data stream containing parameters representing information regarding a three-dimensional/two-dimensional (3D/2D) image in units of data regions of a stereoscopic image that partially has 3D and 2D data regions, and reconstructing an original image by decoding a stereoscopic image data stream containing such parameters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various methods have been proposed in order to transmit a stereoscopic image. For example, there have been developed various standard techniques, such as the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)-2 multi-view video profile (MVP) standards, a depth map transmission method according to the MPEG-4 multiple auxiliary component (MAC) standards, and a multi-view coding (MVC) method according to the MPEG-4 advanced video coding (AVC)/H.264 standards. Multimedia Application Format (MAF) stereoscopic image file format standards are now being established.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a partial 3D/2D image region on the time axis when a stereoscopic image data stream 100 has first and second elementary streams 110 and 120.
A stereoscopic image data stream may contain a plurality of elementary streams. The first and second elementary streams 110 and 120 are recorded in an ‘mdat’ box of the stereoscopic image data stream 100. In the first elementary stream 110, a first left-view image 112, a single view image 114, and second left-view image 116 are respectively recorded in a first composition time (CT) region, a second CT region, and a third CT region. In the second elementary stream 120, a first right-view image 122 and a second right-view image 126 are respectively recorded in a first CT region and a third CT region.
In the stereoscopic image data stream 100 of FIG. 1, a 2D image, i.e., the single view image 114, is recorded only in the elementary stream 110, and only stereo image data is recorded in the elementary stream 120.
FIG. 2 illustrates another example of a partial 3D/2D image region on the time axis when a stereoscopic image data stream 200 has first and second elementary streams 210 and 220.
In the stereoscopic image data stream 200, the first and second elementary streams 210 and 220 are recorded. In the first and second elementary streams 210 and 220, both a stereo image and a single view image are recorded. That is, stereo images 212 and 216 and a single view image 214 are recorded in the first elementary stream 210, and stereo images 222 and 226 and a single view image 224 are recorded in the second elementary stream 220. However, if the same composition time stamp (CTS) is contained in the single view images 214 and 224 being respectively recorded in the two elementary streams 210 and 220, it is impossible for a reproducing apparatus (not shown) to determine which one is to be reproduced from among the single view images 214 and 224.
FIG. 3 illustrates a base construction of an International Standardization Organization (ISO)-based media file format.
An ISO-based media file format includes an ‘ftyp’ box, a ‘moov’ box, and an ‘mdat’ box.
The ‘ftyp’ box includes a description of file type and a compatible format. An appropriate decoder can normally reproduce image data according to a compatible type.
Each piece of data included in the ‘moov’ box consists of a construction based on an object which is referred to as an ‘atom’, and contains information regarding content, such as frame rate, bit rate, and image size, ‘sync’ information, such as fast forwarding (FF)/rewarding (REW), which supports reproducing functions, and various information for reproducing files.
The ‘mdat’ box substantially includes stream data in units of traks, in which each of video data and audio data is stored in units of frames.